1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to packaging to preserve and display meat items for sale in retail establishments.
2. Background Art
Meat items are generally individually packaged to facilitate inspection by consumers in retail establishments. Commonly a meat item is placed in a tray and the tray and meat item are collectively wrapped by a layer of clear plastic. Alternatively, the tray is omitted and the meat item is independently wrapped in like fashion.
The conventional packaging described above has two notable drawbacks. First, fresh meats bleed, and if the juices escape through the wrap, the package becomes sticky and distasteful to its handler. The problem of leakage is aggravated by the fact that the wrap is generally drawn tightly against the upwardly facing surface of the meat and sealed loosely on the bottom of the package where the juices accumulate. The escaping juices, besides the inconvenience they cause the consumer, flow into display cases, thereby necessitating frequent cleaning thereof.
An additional problem with conventional packaging is that there is generally little room for the purveyor of the meat to describe the contents thereof. Most commonly, a small, self-adhesive label is placed on the upwardly facing surface of the wrap. To minimize obstruction of the meat item, the label is generally made with only enough room to conveniently identify the type of meat and its price.